The Making of Stanley Hauerwas

In the past half-century, few theologians have shaped the landscape of American
belief and practice as much as Stanley Hauerwas. His work in social ethics,
political theology, and ecclesiology has had a tremendous influence on the
church and society. But have we understood Hauerwas's theology, his influences,
and his place among the theologians correctly?
Hauerwas is often associated - and rightly so - with the postliberal
theological movement and its emphasis on a narrative interpretation of
Scripture. Yet he also claims to stand within the theological tradition of Karl
Barth, who strongly affirmed the priority of Jesus Christ in all matters and
famously rejected Protestant liberalism. These are two rivers that seem to flow
in different directions.
In this volume within IVP Academic's New Explorations in Theology (NET) series,
theologian David Hunsicker offers a reevaluation of Hauerwas's theology,
arguing that he is both a postliberal and a Barthian theologian. In so doing,
Hunsicker helps us to understand better both the formation and the ongoing
significance of one of America's great theologians.